It is a decision that should not remain without consequence.
According to our information, the management of the National Rally has decided on its intention to invest a candidate in the 3rd constituency of the Alpes-Maritimes for the legislative elections in June.
Against that, declared last Friday in Nice Matin, of Philippe Vardon, until then president of the RN group in the metropolis of Nice and regional councilor of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region (PACA).
For several months, relations have been strained between the former deputy director of the 2019 European campaign and the national authorities of the party to the flame.
In question, his lack of investment in the last presidential campaign of Marine Le Pen.
Like its proximity to Marion Maréchal and Nicolas Bay, two former elected members of the movement who joined Éric Zemmour.
Even the elected Nice has, for his part, never passed the Rubicon.
In the columns of
Le Figaro
on Friday, the one who led the campaign for the last regional PACA, however, spoke out in favor of a
"union"
with the
Reconquest party!
in the next legislative elections.
Whose refusal, according to him, would amount to
"sacrificing the RN of the South"
.
Read alsoPhilippe Vardon: "To refuse the union is to sacrifice the RN of the South"
A speech doubled, this Monday, by an email to the members of the national office of the party.
In which Philippe Vardon demanded that the
“question of alliances in the legislative elections”
be decided by the national council of the RN, a sort of internal parliament of the movement.
The firmness with regard to the elected official, the refusal to grant him the nomination RN and the decision to present, in addition, a candidate against him will have acted as a response.
If the personality of the RN candidate called to compete in the 3rd constituency of the Alpes-Maritimes remains to be determined, it will not be the former
Reconquest!
, Benoit Kandel.
If the refusal of the management of the RN to forge an alliance with
Reconquest!
for the legislative elections is not a real subject in the rest of France, it is different in PACA where Éric Zemmour obtained more than 12% of the votes, in particular in the Alpes-Maritimes where he obtained 14%.
That is double its national score.
The putative local RN candidates thus fear being deprived of any hope of a second round in the event of a
Reconquest candidacy!
dissenting from them.
Read alsoMarine Le Pen and the lost illusions of "de-demonization"
Determined to maintain his candidacy, Philippe Vardon risks, according to the statutes of the movement, the exclusion of the National Rally.
This would not fail to cause a split both within the municipal group RN in the metropolis of Nice.
Only within the RN group of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
The South should, once again, live up to its reputation as a land of tough elections.